Car-coupling.



No. 634,34I. Patented Oct. 3, |899.

A. R.' HEATH.

CAR CUUPLING.

lApplimion med Aug'. 1, m99.,

WM a f Z 4 Z f/ /Z//g/ *2W A TTOHNEYS ALFRED RILEY-HEATIYLI, OF COVINGTON, INDIANA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 634,341, dated October 3, 1899. Application filed August 1, 18919l` Serial No. K725,734. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: y

Be it known that I, ALFRED RILEY HEATH, of Covington, in the county of Fountain and State of Indiana, have invented. new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactde-v scription.

This invention relates tol an improved carcoupling of the hook-and-catch type; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and indicated in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate vcorresponding partsin all the figures.

Figure l is a sectional side view of the end portions of two car-bodies substantially on the line l l in Fig. 2 and a side view ofone improved coupling on each car in coupledA condition. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the carcouplings shown in Fig. l and sectional portions of the two car-frames, taken substantially on the line 2 2 ,in Fig. 1 5 and Fig. 3 is an end elevation in part of a car-body and of the improvement thereon.

In the drawings which illustrate the construction and application of the improvement, A indicates a car-body, B an ordinaryT buffer-spring device held to project from the transverse timber A of the car-frame for contact with a like buffer on another car, and O O a pair of depending carrier-beams whereon the buer-spring device is maintained above the improved car-coupling that is supported on said beams so as to project its coupling-hookin advance of the cross-timber A.

The improved car-coupling comprises an elongated body having suitable breadth and thickness for efficient service, the rear portion forming an integral draw-bar 4, from which extends at the forward end the integral hook member 5, a suitable shank 5a intervening the hook member and draw-bar portion 4 of the car-coupling.

The hook 5'V consists of a head whereon is formed thehook-lip o., which projects rearwardly from the main portion of the head and is separated sufciently from the forward end of the shank 5 to receive the cylindrical body of the rock-shaft 6, which will be further described. Forwardly of the hook-lip ca the head of the hook 5 curves downward and forward, having a convex front edge b on the depending portion of the head, as clearly shown in Fig. l.

A longitudinally-extended slot o is formed in the draw-bar portion 4 of the car-coupling body, having dimensions which will permit the introduction within said slot of the coiled spring 7 which at its rear end receives the coniform nipple d, that is an integral projecf tion from the rear wall of the slot c, the forward end of the coiled spring engaging in a like manner with a nipple e', that is an integral formation on the fulcrum-box e, the use of which will presently appear.

The rook-shaft 6 is mainly cylindrical in the body and at each end is journaled in perforations formed to receive it in the carrierbeams O O, that extend a proper length longitudinally on the car body or frame thereof.

The front end wall of the slot c in the drawbar portion 4 is rendered angular or notched, as indicated at o' in Fig. l, and upon the cylindrical body of the rock-shaft 6 where it passes through the slot c an integral V-shaped lug g is formed which fits neatly within the V-shaped notch c.

The fulcrum-box e, previously mentioned, has its front side concaved to fit upon the cylindric rear side of the rock-shaft body, and it will be seen that the constant pressure of the spring 7 will hold the lug g of the rockshaft bedded in the notch c', whereby the car-coupling body complete is held to rock with the shaft 6. Y

On the upper side of the draw-bar portion 4 a longitudinal slot h is formed therein for the reception of a laterally-bent arm t', which is a formation on the lower end of a liftingrod 8. Y

The rod 8 extends upwardly at the front of the car-body and is of a length suited to the character of the latter, as in case the car-body is low or of the gondola pattern, consisting merely of a platform and removable end and side boards thereon, which is a common construction. The lifting-rod 8 need only project a short distance above the transverse timber A and may have a projection m in hook form projected laterally thereon. When the car-body is of the usual box pattern, (im

IOO

dicated partially in the drawings,) the liftingrod S is then upwardly extended to the roof of the car-body and terminates in a looped handle n. (Shown in Fig. 3.)

In either style of ear construction the lifting-rod for the ear-coupling is encircled by a staple o, driven into the front end of the ear body or frame thereof, the position of the staple being a short distance above the hooklike projection on, which may pass up through said staple if the rod 8 is raised and at the same time held near the car end wall.

If at any time it is desired to temporarily support the rod 8 in elevated adjustment, this may be readily effected by causing the hook member m to rest upon the transverse bar of the staple o, and when so lifted. the hooked front end of the car-coupling will be rocked down in an obvious manner to avoid coupled connection with another car-coupling.

A lateral member 9 is formed or secured on the upright lifting-rod 8 and projects therefrom to the side of the car for convenient manipulation by an operator on the ground at the side of the car, and it will be seen that if this side rod or handle-bar is permitted to rest upon the cross-timber A or other suitable projection on the end wall of the car the drop of the lifting-rod S will be arrested at a point which willdispose the car-coupling body in or near a horizontal plane. It is to be understood, however, that a greater range of depression or elevation may be given to the hook end of the car-coupling, if this is desired, by projecting the bar 9 from a point higher up on the lifting-rod S.

rlhe car-coupling is so positioned on the rock-shaft G that it will lie close to one carrierbeam C, and thus leave a space between the coupling-body and the opposite carrier-beam C, which will expose a portion of the rockshaft body for a hooked engagement therewith of another car-coupling of like construction.

On the body of the car-coupling, at ornear the forward end of the draw-bar portion 4 thereof, a guide-flange et is formed upon the same and projects laterally across the space which intervenes between the coupling-body and the carrier -beam C said flange approaches. It will be seen that when a coupled engagement of two of the improved car-couplings is to be effected the convex front edge on the hook member 5 will impinge upon the lower side of the guide-flange at, and the latter will so depress and guide the hook member of the coupling as to enable the lip (t to engage with the body of the rock-shaft said lip passes beneath.

It should be explained that the weight of the lifting-rod 8 and the handle-bar 9 eoact to maintain the car-coupling body level, and evidently when two of the improved carcouplings on approaching ears come together the rods S thereon will rise far enough to permit the hook portions 5 to hook upon respective rock-shaft C of the ear-couplings, upon which they are guided by the lateral ilanges 4, as before explained.

Near the forward end of the longitudinal slot 7L a draft-lug@ is formed upon the body of the car-coupling and adapted to receive one end of'a common coupling-link D, (shown partially in Fig. 1,) which provision enables the coupled connection of the improved earcoupling with a common link-and-pin carcoupling, if this becomes necessary,

In operation of the improvement it will be seen that the spring 7 is adapted to absorb all shocks due to suddenly-applied pulling strain, and by the novel construction of the draw-bar portion of the car-coupling said spring is carried thereon, dispensing with the ordinary means for the support of draft cushion-springs. lurthermorathe car-coupling having its connection on the supporting rock-shaft (i rendered elastic it is evident that two cars having the improved car-couplings may travel over curves in the railroad and said couplings will yield laterally on the curves,thus avoiding anybindingorimproper friction where the hooks engage with the rock-shafts of the couplings.

At any time it is desired to detach two of the improved car-couplings it is only necessary for the trainman to lift the rod S either from the car-body roof or from the side of the car, which will rock the hooks 5 of the engaged car-couplings ldown and release them from the shafts 6, the enforced pressure of the lateral ianges 4 upon adjacent couplingbodies effecting such a result.

It will be evident that the peculiar construction of the car-coupling and means for supporting the same on a car adapts the same lfor a great range of rocking adjustment, so that the car provided with the improved coupling may be coupled to another car that is either lower or higher and there will be no cramping strain on either ear-coupling so connected.

The practical nature of the improved earcoupling and its extreme simplicity, which renders it inexpensive to manufacture, are obvious advantages pertaining to the improvement.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a car-coupling, the combination with a body having a hook member at one end, and a slotted draw-bar at the opposite end, of a supported rock-shaft at the forward end of the slot, a fulerum-box engaging the rear side of the rock-shaft, and a bulfer-springin the slot having its ends respectively pressing upon the draw-bar and fulcrum-box.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination with a body having a hook member at one end, and an integral longitudinally-slotted drawbar at the opposite end, the front end of the draw-bar slot being angularly notched, of a supported rock-shaft having a lateral lug IOO which fits in the angular notch, a fulcrumbox concaved on one side which engages the rear side ofthe rock-shaft, anda coiled bufferspring held in the draw-bar slot so as to press upon the fulcrum-box.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination with a body having a hook member at one end, an integral longitudinally-slotted draw-bar at the opposite end, the front end of the drawbar slot being angularly notched, and a `Druideange laterally projected from the draw-bar near the front end of the slot therein, of a supported rock-shaft having a lateral lug that fits in the angularl notch, a fulcrum-box concaved on one side which engages the rear side of the rock-shaft body, and a coiled spring held in the draw-bar slot so as to press upon the fulcruln-box.

4. ln a car-coupling of the character described, the combination With a couplingbody supported to rock near its longitudinal center along With a rock-shaft, and a bufferspring carried in a slot of said body rearward of the rock-shaft, and pressing a fulcrum-box thereon, the coupling-body havinga hook on its forward end, of a lifting-rod projecting upwardly from the coupling-body near the rock-shaft, a handle on the upper portion of the lifting-rod, a hook thereon adapted to engage a staple on the car-body, and a lateral handle-bar on the lifting-rod.

ALFRED RILEY HEATH.

Witnesses:

O. S. DoUGLAss, E. G. FIELDS. 

